For a silent film enthusiast, James Cruze’s 1923 film “The Covered Wagon” is no doubt a silent film that is captivating, action-packed. It’s an adventure, action and romance western rolled into one. Performances by J. Warren Kerrigan, Lois Wilson, Alan Hale and Ernest Torrence were very good and the enormity of this epic film is no doubt entertaining. It was a successful landmark film that kicked off the trend for Hollywood western films for many years and decades after. Recommended!
© 1923 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
TITLE: The Covered Wagon
DATE OF FILM RELEASE: 1923
DURATION: 98 Minutes
BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p (1:33:1 Aspect Ratio), B&W, English Intertitles
COMPANY: Kino Lorber
RATED: Not Rated
RELEASE DATE: February 20, 2018
Based on the Novel by Emerson Hough
Directed by James Cruze
Adaptation by Jack Cunningham
Produced by Jesse L. Lasky
Musical score by Gaylord Carter
Cinematography by Karl Brown
Edited by Dorothy Arzner
Costume Design by Howard Greer
Starring:
J. Warren Kerrigan as Will Banion
Lois Wilson as Molly Wingate
Alan Hale as Sam Woodhull
Ernest Torrence as William Jackson
Tully Marshall as Jim Bridger
Ethel Wales as Mrs. Wingate
Guy Oliver as Kit Carson
Johnny Fox as Jed Wingate
The first Western epic! A great caravan of covered wagons, filled with hearty pioneers and their families and possessions, are waiting for the Spring jump off at Westport Landing, now Kansas City. The time is 1848, and the destination is far-off Oregon, in The Covered Wagon (1923), the first big-budget Western epic. Where countless pilgrims fell, a love triangle flourishes, as Molly Wingate (Lois Wilson) must choose between the brutish Sam (Alan Hale) and the dashing Will (J. Warren Kerrigan). Complicating her decision are the perils of the trail: a mile-wide river, prairie fire, heavy snowfall, a buffalo stampede, crippling hunger, and Native American attacks. Boasting a cast of thousands and an unparalleled commitment to authenticity, The Covered Wagon was an enormous box-office success in 1923 and became one of the major milestones in the history of the Western.
In 1923, the James Cruze’s Paramount Pictures western silent film “The Covered Wagon” is considered one of the first major film productions during that era and was no doubt a blockbuster film that would set the trend for western films in early Hollywood.
Considered a landmark film and an American epic, the film was shot in multiple locations in California, Nevada and Utah, to make the film look authentic, real wagons used to bring pioneers to the west were used in the film (and the owners of the family heirlooms were used as extras) and to make the film’s hunting of bison look realistic, seven bison were shot and killed in film. And the film would also recruit Native American Indians.
The film based on the novel by Emerson Hough features a screenplay by Jack Cunningham (“The Black Pirate”, “The Adventurer”, “Beyond the Rocks”) and would star J. Warren Kerrigan (“The Pool of Flame”, “Samson”, “Captain Blood”), Lois Wilson (“Miss Lulu Bett”, “Bright Eyes”, “Drifting Souls”), Alan Hale (“The Adventures of Robin Hood”, “They Drive by Night”, “Adventures of Don Juan”) and William Jackson (“Mantrap”, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, “Steamboat Bill, Jr.”).
And now this American epic will be released on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.
The film about covered wagons traveling across the United States from the Great Plains, the Rockies, the great desert, the Sierra Mountains on their way to California and Oregon and trying to capture with detail and historical facts.
Leading a train of a dozens of wagons is Mr. Wingate who is Oregon Bound and his beautiful daughter Molly (portrayed by Lois Wilson) who is pledged by the rough Sam Woodhull (portrayed by Alan Hale).   They are joined by another wagon train led by former veteran Will Banion (portrayed by J. Warren Kerrigan), Captain of the “Liberty Boys”.
When Molly and Will meet for the first time, there is chemistry between both individuals and immediately, one can tell that both Sam Woodhull and Will Banion are not going to get along.
But as the people make their way to California and Oregon, they must endure crossing from the west of the Great Plains of the Mississippi, crossing the Platte River, take part in a buffalo hunt, attacks from Indians and bare desert heat, mountain snow of the Sierra Mountains and dealing with hunger.
VIDEO:
“The Covered Wagon” is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:33:1 aspect ratio) and is black and white. The quality of the film on Blu-ray is fantastic with no sign of any significant film damage of warping. Considering the age of this film, one can expect to see the usual scratches and specks from each frame but considering how good this film looks for a silent film (and considering that a huge percentage of silent films are in bad shape or considered lost due to significant damage or nitrate fires), this is the best version to watch of “The Covered Wagon”.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
“The Covered Wagon” is presented English subtitles and features a Wurlitzer organ score by Gaylord Carter (presented in 2.0 DTS stereo).
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“The Covered Wagon” comes with the following special features:
- Audio Commentary – Featuring an audio commentary by film historian Toby Roan.
- The Pie Covered Wagon – A 1932 one-reel spoof starring Shirley Temple.
EXTRAS:
Featuring a booklet essay by film scholar Matt Hauske.
“The Covered Wagon” is the first Western blockbuster that is credited for kickstarting the western genre.
Without the financial success of James Cruze’s “The Covered Wagon”, would John Ford have created “The Iron Horse” and without Ford’s success, would there be western films that many people would come to love for the next 50+ years?
There is no doubt that “The Covered Wagon” is considered an American epic for its cost, the many people employed as extras, the magnitude of shooting the film in various states, sacrificing horses and bison and finding families that still had covered wagons as part of their heirlooms and would take part in the film.
Suffice to say, this was a major film to pull off and James Cruze was able to pull off this amazing silent film success.
Even the 29th U.S. President Warren G. Harding loved the film, saying after he viewed it, “I sat entranced. There was more than the picturesque, more than sorrow and discouragement, more than appealing characters and enthralling heroism. There was more than the revelation of the irresolute who failed in fitness to survive, more than tragedy and comedy in their inseparable blend. There was more than the scouts who surpassed our fancies, more than nature’s relentless barriers revealed. Everywhere aflame was the soul of unalterable purpose.”
But Harding wasn’t the only person entranced by this film. Chicago Daily News Film reviewer Carl Sandburg loved the film so much that he wrote six articles about the film in May and August of that year, which Sandburg rarely does for a film (as he had so many films to review).
Sandburg wrote in May 1923, “[The Covered Wagon] amplifies and glorifies the vivid descriptions of the printed pages and is, on that account, a legitimate and perfect complement in the author’s work. The theme is so well-suited to the art of the camera that ‘The Covered Wagon’ already taken its place among the four or five wholly admirable pictures, artistically that have been ever made.”
If there is one thing that Sandburg pointed out that I wholeheartedly agree with is that a film of this magnitude would still not be able to capture life of these people who traveled cross-country. From the atrocities inflicted by the Indians and the pioneers towards the Indians, showing the filth and soot on the wagon covers from crossing cross-country and even mentioning the horse flies that bled the horses, putting them in blind rage along the trail.
But the film doesn’t cookie cut too much, one scene shows the Indians helping Sam Woodhull travel across the water. When they ask for payment, Woodhull ends up shooting the Indian and leaving. Of course, the Indians also fight back in this film and both sides lose a lot of life.
In today’s films, the thought of sacrificing animals to get a shot is unheard of. But 1920’s were a different time and during a scene where the covered wagons and their animals must cross a river to get to the other side, we see water up to chins of the calf and horses. Some animals died during this scene as they were stressed and drowned.
And of course, during the hunt for food, a scene is shown with a bison hunt where seven bison were shot and killed for food to show how the pioneers had to survive and not die of hunger. But the mean provided as extra food for the staff.
But considering director James Cruze and producer Jesse L. Lasky wanted to capture realism as best they can during that era ad its budget of $782,000 (in today’s money that would be $11 million) was tremendous for 1923. The use of a cast of 3000, the hundreds of horses and cattle, the hundred or so covered wagons and more. It was no doubt a monumental effort carried out by Paramount Pictures.
As for the Blu-ray for “The Covered Wagon”, picture quality is wonderful and the film looks very good considering its age. Gaylord Carter’s Wurlitzer organ score was well-done and you also get an audio commentary and a 1932 one-reel spoof titled “The Pie-Covered Wagon” starring Shirley Temple. Plus you get a booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Matt Hauske.
For a silent film enthusiast, James Cruze’s 1923 film “The Covered Wagon” is no doubt a silent film that is captivating, action-packed. It’s an adventure, action and romance western rolled into one. Performances by J. Warren Kerrigan, Lois Wilson, Alan Hale and Ernest Torrence were very good and the enormity of this epic film is no doubt entertaining. It was a successful landmark film that kicked off the trend for Hollywood western films for many years and decades after.
Recommended!
